The Orioles make the trip to Kansas City to face the Royals! These two teams have started the season very similarly, getting off to slow starts despite having a lot of talent and being two teams that can make some noise in the AL. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with an Orioles-Royals prediction and pick.
Orioles-Royals Projected Starters
Tomoyuki Sugano vs. Michael Wacha
Tomyuki Sugano (0-1) with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout through four innings.
Away Splits: (0-1) 4.50 ERA
Michael Wacha (0-1) with a 2.25 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed one run on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts through four innings.
Home Splits: (0-1) 2.25 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Orioles-Royals Odds
Baltimore Orioles: -1.5 (+168)
Moneyline: -102
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline: -116
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How to Watch Orioles vs. Royals
Time: 4:10 pm ET/1:10 pm PT
TV: MASN/FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Orioles Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Orioles had a 91-71 record last season, but it’s been a slow start compared to a 3-4 start this season, and they have lost three of their previous four games. Their offense is a top-10 unit and has stayed steady from last season into this one. The pitching has fallen and struggled compared to their electric offense.
The Orioles have so much young talent behind the plate. Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle, Jackson Holliday, Tyler O’Neill, Ramon Urias, and Ryan O’Hearn have been red-hot to start the season. The pitching has struggled, with Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano being the only standouts early in the season. This Orioles team has a lot of talent, but they need to get back on track, and a win against the Royals is a good place to start.
The Orioles are starting newcomer Sugano on the mound. He has a 0-1 record, a 4.50 ERA, and a 1.50 WHIP. In his first start, he allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout through four innings in a 3-1 Orioles loss to the Blue Jays. Sugano has so much potential and has a chance to show off his talent against another great offense in the Royals. This will be the make-or-break matchup in this game for either team.
The Orioles’ offense has stayed consistent as one of the best in the entire MLB. They are sixth in batting average at .277 after finishing with a .250 last season, which was seventh. Ramon Urias led the offense, and Cedric Mullins led the way in most batting categories. Urias leads in batting average at .429, in OBP at .500, and in total hits with nine. Then, Mullins leads in home runs with three and RBI with 11. This offense should find some success against Wacha, despite him being one of the better pitchers on the Kansas City roster.
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals played well last season toward an 86-76 record. They started this season with a 2-4 record compared to a slower start through six games. Their bats and pitching were both top 10 units in the MLB last year. The bats have started slow this season, while the pitching is still solid. Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, and Michael Lorenzen make up a monster pitching staff for Kansas City and have been huge this season. Their bats are also significant, led by Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Michael Massey, Hunter Renfroe, and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals have the talent to have a monster season, but they need to bounce back from a slow start and start rattling off a few wins.
The Royals are starting Michael Wacha on the mound. He has a 0-1 record, a 2.25 ERA, and a 2.00 WHIP. In his lone start this season, he allowed one run on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts through four innings in a 6-2 Royals loss to the Guardians. He also has a K/BB ratio of 0.5. Wacha has a lot of talent as a pitcher, making this one of the biggest matchups in this game, given how well the Orioles’ offense is playing.
The Royals’ offense was outstanding last season but has started slowly this season. They are 19th in team batting average at .213 after finishing last season with a .248. Garcia, Pasquantino, and India lead their offense in most batting categories. Garcia leads in batting average at .353, in home runs at two, and in OBP at .421. Then, India leads the team in total hits at eight. Finally, Pasquantino leads the team in RBI with four. This Royals’ offense should be able to score on the Orioles because they have not found consistency on the mound this year.
Final Orioles-Royals Prediction & Pick
These teams are evenly matched, and I think the Orioles are slightly better due to their offense. Still, Wacha is good enough to keep this game close for the Royals. The Orioles win outright, but the Royals cover to keep this close.
Final Orioles-Royals Prediction & Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-205)
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